“Millions of people suffer
from migraines and this new device represents a new treatment option for some
patients,” Christy Foreman of the FDA said in a statement.

The Cerena TMS will only be available to patients by way of prescription, but the device sounds pretty simple to
use — you simply hold the device with both hands against the back of your head, and
press a button. This will then release a pulse of magnetic energy through the
skull and into the occipital cortex. In stimulating this part of the brain, the
pulse will supposedly lessen or completely stop the pain brought on by the
migraine.

So how do you know when you have a real migraine, and not just a headache? Well, it's kind of like having an orgasm: you'll know.

According to the FDA, migraine
headaches include intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one specific area of the
head, along with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. The FDA estimates that about 10 percent of people around the world are affected by
migraines, and women are three times more likely to experience them than male
their counterparts. We can't imagine why.

Left untreated, a migraine can last anywhere
between four and 72 of the worst hours of your life. About one-third of migraine sufferers experience
something called an aura, which is not nearly as mystical as it sounds and is defined as “a visual, sensory or motor
disturbance immediately preceding the onset of a migraine attack.” The Cerena TMS is approved for use after the initial onset of pain from migraine
headaches preceded by an aura.

Just because the FDA
approved Cerena TMS, that won't mean anyone can easily land a prescription
for the device. To start, you have to be at
least 18-years-old, and you can’t have any magnetic metals in your head, neck, or upper body. Individuals who have pacemakers, deep brain stimulators, or
other forms of implanted devices are also prohibited from using the Cerena TMS,
as are those with epilepsy or a history of seizures.

Aside from these specific
instances in which the device should not be used, experts are hailing the Cerena
TMS as a major breakthrough, and a helpful tool to aid those who suffer
from migraine headaches.

"The Cerena TMS is
another tool in the battle to relieve migraines," said Dr. Mark Green,
director of Headache and Pain Management at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in
New York City. "Experience with TMS over the past few years have shown that
these agents have the potential to reduce the pain of an attack without the use
of medications, or in addition to medical treatment."